The recently ended DAP Perak polls saw, in Kulasegaran’s own words, “slaughter” of his team by the other side, the Ngeh-Nga cousins. Kula’s team only won 1 out of the 15 places, that too, scrapping in at the 15th place (the team member, Jalong assemblyman Leong Mee Meng, was treasurer in past committee and yet barely made it!).

Kulasegaran, the deputy chairman for Perak (he won the last DAP elections with highest vote, yet end up nominated as deputy only!)  who is also the national level vice-chairman, pointed finger at addition of 60 new branches (each branch contribute 7 delegates) as the reason for such a skewed and unexpected result. The number of delegates this time around have more than tripled from the 306 delegates who voted during the 2008 state party polls.

Of the party’s 1,228 delegates, 972 turned up to vote. Of the total, 42 votes were spoiled. Kula only managed to secure 395 votes in total, placing him at 17th place, behind his closest ally, Thomas Su Keong Siong, the Pasir Pinji assemblyman. That means, about 60 per cent of delegates who cast their votes rejected his bid to stay on as a member of the DAP Perak state committee.

The voters (and public) already been fed with news about feud between Kula and Ngeh-Nga for last one year or so. So, its not a secret that voters may choose to vote for one team instead of for individuals. Kula should admit that his lack of strategy caused the failure. He should have opened more branches and shored up support for his team, instead of leaving it to the existing and new delegates. Thus, for me, the defeat is own doing.

Maybe his threat to quit earlier also did not go down well with the delegates. Wrong strategy/advice?

To rub salt into the wound, the newly elected committee offered to co-opt him (and another loser Sivanesan) as vice-chairman, which is a demotion since he was deputy chairman before this.  Former State Assembly speaker V. Sivakumar, considered as one of Kula’s disciples, was made the new deputy chairman replacing Kulasegaran.

Initially, Kula said:

“I am shocked with today’s results. Maybe I will retire from politics entirely,” he said.

“This is very difficult for me,” he added.

Kula has confirmed that he won’t be taking up the offer to vice-chairman, while Sivanesan has accepted.

“After having weighed all opinions and taking into consideration the present political development and circumstances within Perak DAP, I have decided to decline the cooption offer from the state committee as a state committee member and as state vice chairman,” he said.

He added that he had also taken into consideration the feedback and views offered to him from party leaders, grassroots members and supporters on whether he should accept the co-option.

“I stated earlier that among the factors which I should like to find out was how best I could continue to play an effective and meaningful role in state politics.

“Since then, I have received much valuable feedback which I appreciate very much,” he said.

Kulasegaran, however, stressed that his rejection of the co-option offer today did not spell out his exit from DAP politics.

“This decision is in no way an announcement that I am quitting state politics.

“I pledge to play my active and continued role in both state and national politics to help achieve the Pakatan Rakyat’s twin electoral objectives – to recapture Perak state power and to march towards Putrajaya,” he declared.

So, what to say?

• You didn’t get place in top 15.
• Your disciples got better results.
• Your team got slaughtered.
• You didn’t shore up support by creating new branches.

What logical result will this lead too?

Another attempt in few years time?

Empire strikes back or Return of the Jedi?

sources:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/shocked-by-defeat-kula-mulls-retirement/

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kula-faction-axed-in-perak-dap-vote/

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/14/nation/20101114133941&sec=nation

?http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/148207

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/148196

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/15/nation/20101115073958&sec=nation

http://malaysiakini.com/news/148279

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/18/nation/7452637&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/18/nation/20101118170739&sec=nation

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/perak-dap-accepts-kulas-decision-will-not-force-him/

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/19/nation/7458822&sec=nation

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kula-declines-vice-chairman-offer/

http://malaysiakini.com/news/148583

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/11/19/nation/20101119112731&sec=nation